Method and apparatus for forming a batt of particulate material for use as a component in an absorbent core assembly

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for forming an absorbent core assembly containing a batt of particulate material which may be used in an absorbent article. The apparatus may include a laydown drum having a plurality of vacuum zones, a plurality of fence zones, and a plurality of blow-off zones. The vacuum zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass through and into the laydown drum. The fence zones may be substantially impermeable to inhibit air from passing through. The blow-off zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass out of and through said laydown drum. The apparatus may also include a deposition chute for depositing particulate material on a web of material in close proximity to the laydown drum. A shield may also be attached to the deposition chute in order to prevent the particles from bouncing off of the laydown drum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming an absorbent core assembly containing a batt of particulate material. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming a batt of fluff material and superabsorbent polymer for use as a component in an absorbent core assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Absorbent articles having absorbent core assemblies for use in absorbing body fluids are well known in the art. For example, disposable diapers are often constructed having an absorbent core assembly positioned between layers of materials. Said absorbent core assemblies often comprise a mixture of particulate materials (e.g., fluff material and superabsorbent polymer) which are formed into a batt. Said batt may be positioned between two or more layers of materials. One such layer may be adapted to face the wearer's body, such as a dusting layer. Another such layer conveniently may be adapted to face away from the person's body, such as a core wrap. Said batt is intended to extended longitudinally inboard of the end edges of the diaper (i.e., batt does not extend entire length of diaper).

In the manufacturing of said absorbent core assemblies, a variety of techniques are well known. For example, discrete batts may be formed by the use of vacuum zones within a laydown drum. However, such current techniques and apparatus experience problems with superabsorbent polymer being inadvertently deposited substantially along the entire length of the diaper. Said problem presents issues with the superabsorbent polymer being free from the fluff material and subsequently piercing through the topsheet, causing said superabsorbent polymer to be deposited on the wearer's skin and thereby create a negative aesthetic perception on the part of the consumer. Additionally, another problem may exist when fluff material is inadvertently deposited substantially along the entire length of the diaper, thus interfering with an end seal necessary to contain the absorbent core assembly.

What is needed is a method and apparatus for forming a batt of particulate material (e.g., fluff material and superabsorbent polymer) for use as a component in an absorbent core assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of forming an absorbent core assembly containing a batt of particulate material (e.g., superabsorbent polymer and fluff material) which may be used in an absorbent article. The method may include the step of providing a laydown drum. The laydown drum may have a plurality of vacuum zones. These vacuum zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass through and into the laydown drum. The laydown drum may also include a plurality of fence zones. These fence zones may be substantially impermeable to inhibit air from passing through. The laydown drum may also include a plurality of blow-off zones. These blow-off zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass out of and through the laydown drum. The method may also include the step of providing a first web of material and positioning the first web of material substantially adjacent to the laydown drum. The method may also include the step of generating a vacuum through the laydown drum and the first web of material such that air is passed through said vacuum zones. The method may also include the step of depositing superabsorbent polymer and fluff material onto the first web of material such that the air being pulled through the vacuum zones is used to form a batt. The method may also include the step of blowing air through the blow-off zones so as to substantially displace the superabsorbent polymer and the fluff material from a position located above the blow-off zones. The method may also include the step of providing a second web of material and positioning the second web of material adjacent to the superabsorbent polymer and the fluff material to thereby sandwich the batt between the first web of material and the second web of material. The method may also include the step of combining the second web of material to the first web of material. The method may also include the step of severing the webs to form a plurality of absorbent core assemblies, each containing a batt. The combining step may include adhesive bonding of the first and second webs of materials. The adhesive bonding may be intermittently applied between discrete batts. The combining step may also include mechanical bonding of the first and second webs of materials. The mechanical bonding may be intermittently applied between discrete batts. The method may also include the step of shielding the deposited superabsorbent polymer particles in order to prevent them from bouncing off of the laydown drum and away from the web.

The present invention provides an apparatus for forming an absorbent core assembly containing a batt of particulate material (e.g., superabsorbent polymer and fluff material) which may be used in an absorbent article. The apparatus may include a laydown drum. The laydown drum may include a plurality of vacuum zones. These vacuum zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass through and into the laydown drum. The laydown drum may also include a plurality of fence zones. These fence zones may be substantially impermeable to inhibit air from passing through. The laydown drum may also include a plurality of blow-off zones. These blow-off zones may be substantially permeable to permit air to pass out of and through the laydown drum. The apparatus may also include a deposition chute for depositing superabsorbent polymer and fluff material. The chute may be in close proximity to the laydown drum. The apparatus may also include a shield attached to said deposition chute. The shield may be adapted to deflect superabsorbent polymer particles in order to prevent them from bouncing off of the laydown drum and away from the web.

Various additional features, advantages and objectives of the invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows an exemplary absorbent article in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1B shows a series of absorbent articles made from a plurality of web materials;

FIG. 2A shows the absorbent core assembly from FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the absorbent core assembly from FIG. 2A taken along line 2B-2B;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary manufacturing process in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the laydown drum from FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a laid-out view of the surface of laydown drum 1060 from FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows the absorbent core assembly of FIG. 2A and further represents a compiled views of the exploded views 6A, 6B, 6C;

FIG. 6A shows the dusting layer having a central adhesive applied in a striped pattern;

FIG. 6B shows the vacuum-formed outline of a mixture of fluff material and SAP;

FIG. 6C shows an underlying layer of core wrap material with a plurality of adhesive application patterns; and

FIG. 7 shows the addition of a SAP shield to the fluff material deposition chute of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The definitions of various terms used herein are provided as follows:

The term “absorbent article” herein refers to devices which absorb and contain body exudates and, more specifically, refers to devices which are placed against or in proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb and contain the various exudates discharged from the body, such as: incontinence briefs, incontinence undergarments, absorbent inserts, diaper holders and liners, feminine hygiene garments and the like. The absorbent article may have an absorbent core having a garment surface and a body surface, a liquid permeable topsheet positioned adjacent to the body surface of the absorbent core, and a liquid impermeable backsheet positioned adjacent to the garment surface of the absorbent core.

The term “disposable” is used herein to describe absorbent articles which generally are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as absorbent articles (i.e., they are intended to be discarded after a single use and, preferably, to be recycled, composted or otherwise discarded in an environmentally compatible manner).

The term “diaper” herein refers to an absorbent article generally worn by infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso.

The term “pant”, as used herein, refers to disposable garments having a waist opening and leg openings designed for infant or adult wearers. A pant may be placed in position on the wearer by inserting the wearer's legs into the leg openings and sliding the pant into position about the wearer's lower torso. A pant may be preformed by any suitable technique including, but not limited to, joining together portions of the article using refastenable and/or non-refastenable bonds (e.g., seam, weld, adhesive, cohesive bond, fastener, etc.). A pant may be preformed anywhere along the circumference of the article (e.g., side fastened, front waist fastened). While the term “pant” is used herein, pants are also commonly referred to as “closed diapers”, “prefastened diapers”, “pull-on diapers”, “training pants” and “diaper-pants”. Suitable pants are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,433, issued to Hasse et al. on Sep. 21, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,234, issued to Buell et al. on Oct. 29, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,487, issued to Ashton on Sep. 19, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,489, issued to Johnson et al. on Sep. 19, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464, issued to Van Gompel et al. on Jul. 10, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,861, issued to Nomura et al. on Mar. 3, 1992, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0233082 A1 dated Dec. 18, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,545, issued to Kline et al. on Apr. 27, 1999, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,908, issued to Kline et al. on Sep. 28, 1999.

The term “machine direction (MD)” or “longitudinal” herein refers to a direction running parallel to the maximum linear dimension of the article and/or fastening material and includes directions within 45° of the longitudinal direction.

The term “cross direction (CD)”, “lateral” or “transverse” herein refers to a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

The term “joined” encompasses configurations whereby an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the other element, and configurations whereby an element is indirectly secured to another element by affixing the element to an intermediate member which in turn is affixed to the other element.

The term “fluff material” refers to any material suitable for suspending and/or entangling with superabsorbent polymer. Fluff material may be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, synthetic fibers having a length suitable for airlaying, cellulose fibers including cross-linked cellulose fibers, or the like, and combinations thereof.

The term “superabsorbent polymer” refers to a polymer having a capacity for absorbing and/or storing liquid. Superabsorbent polymer may be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, polyacrylic acid, sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylamide, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl alcohol, an additional polymer of maleic anhydride, a polyether, a condensed polymer, a polysaccharide such as starch or cellulose, a protein such as collagen, or the like, and combinations thereof. Examples of superabsorbent polymers include a cross-linked compound of sodium polyacrylate, a graft copolymer of starch having sodium polyacrylate, and a graft copolymer of cellulose having polyacrylonitrile chains.

FIG. 1A shows an exemplary absorbent article made in accordance with the present invention. More specifically, absorbent article 100 is shown having a topsheet 110, a backsheet 120 and an absorbent core assembly 130 containing a batt 150 of particulate material. While other constructions of said absorbent article are well known in the art, this basic diaper construction is sufficient to illustrate the benefits of the present invention. FIG. 1B shows a series of absorbent articles made from a plurality of web materials. More specifically, a first absorbent article 100 a, a second absorbent article 100 b and a third absorbent article 100 c are shown in end-to-end configuration as would be seen prior to a final knife cut within a manufacturing process.

FIG. 2A shows the absorbent core assembly 130 from FIG. 1A. More specifically, absorbent core assembly 130 may comprise a dusting layer 132, a core wrap layer 134, and a mixture of particulate material, for example fluff material 136 and superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter SAP) 138, positioned therebetween and forming a batt 150. FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of absorbent core assembly 130 from FIG. 2A taken along line 2B-2B. As can be appreciated from this view, the dusting layer 132 may be positioned as the top layer above the batt 150 and the core wrap layer 134 may be positioned as the bottom layer below the batt 150; however, one skilled in the art would appreciate that a variety of other configurations are possible.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary manufacturing process in accordance with the present invention. More specifically, process 1000 is shown having a laydown drum 1060, a SAP applicator 1138, a fluff material deposition chute 1136 and a variety of other web handling devices. In this particular example, a web of dusting layer material 132 is shown being fed into said process. As shown, a central adhesive applicator 1142 may apply adhesive to at least one side of said dusting layer. While a variety of adhesive application patterns may be used, one such pattern is depicted later in FIG. 6A. After said central adhesive is applied, the dusting layer 132 may be fed to an underneath position in relationship to said fluff material deposition chute 1136. In doing, and throughout this manufacturing process, a variety of web handling devices may be used including, but not limited to, idler rolls 1052, 1054, 1056, 1058. Next, a batt 150 may be formed by SAP 138 and fluff material 136 being applied to the top of dusting layer 132 with the aid of air being drawn through and into the interior of laydown drum 1060. Said laydown drum 1060 may comprise multiple zones, such as vacuum zones 1062 and blow-off zones 1066. Said laydown drum 1060 is depicted in additional detail in FIG. 4.

In parallel with said processes, a web of core wrap material 134 may also be fed into said process in a direction relatively towards said fluff material deposition chute 1136. Further, adhesive may be applied to said core wrap as exampled by side adhesive applicator 1144, end adhesive applicator 1146 and auxiliary adhesive applicator 1148. While a variety of adhesive application patterns may be used, one such collection of patterns is depicted later in FIG. 6C. After said adhesive is applied, said core wrap material may be brought into contact with the dusting layer and the batt 150 formed by the mixture of SAP/fluff material. Next, said webs of materials may be bonded. For example, a phased bonding roll 1070 may be used to provide intermittent bonding so as to bond the layers of materials intermittently between the discrete batts 150 formed by the depositions of SAP/fluff material.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of said laydown drum 1060 from FIG. 3. More specifically, laydown drum 1060 is shown as having at least two distinct zones, namely, a plurality of vacuum zones 1062 and a plurality of blow-off zones 1066. Also shown in this figure is fluff material deposition chute 1136 wherein SAP 138 and fluff material 136 are dispersed and mixed in air. Additionally, it is from fluff material deposition chute 1136 that SAP 138 and fluff material 136 are deposited to form the batts 150. By way of pulling air 1063 through vacuum zones 1062, the air/particulate dispersion is directed to said vacuum zones whereupon SAP and fluff material are positioned to form discrete batts of absorbent core material. With the additional use of air 1067 blown through blow-off zones 1066, the formation of the discrete batts is improved such that the amount of loose particles of SAP and/or fluff material inadvertently positioned within the space between said batts is minimized.

FIG. 5 shows a laid-out view of the surface of laydown drum 1060 from FIG. 4. As can be seen from this exemplary embodiment, vacuum zones 1062 are shaped similar to the desired outline of the discrete batts 150. Vacuum zones 1062 may be substantially air-permeable to allow air to pass through. In addition, fence zones 1064 may be used to inhibit air flow and thus inhibit the placement of SAP/fluff material in these locations. Fence zones 1064 may be substantially air-impermeable to inhibit air from passing through. Further, it may be desirable to position said fence zones laterally adjacent to said vacuum zones as shown in FIG. 5. Lastly, blow-off zones 1066 may be used to not only inhibit air flow and thus limit the placement of SAP/fluff material in these locations, but also provide a permeable area for air to pass through and thus blow away any inadvertently positioned SAP/fluff material. The use of blow-off zones 1066 in the area in-between said vacuum zones provides the unique benefit of minimizing the amount of deposited SAP/fluff material which would ultimately be positioned within the waist region of the resulting absorbent article. Having SAP positioned in the waist region is often undesirable, for example, because the SAP particles are not contained by fluff material there, and thus said SAP particles are capable of piercing the topsheet and coming in harsh contact with the wearer. Such benefits would not be achieved by the mere use of fence zones in these locations.

FIG. 6 shows the absorbent core assembly 130 of FIG. 2A. Said absorbent core assembly is shown in an exploded view represented as FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. Accordingly, FIG. 6A shows dusting layer 132 having a central adhesive 142 applied in a striped pattern. While a striped pattern is shown, one skilled in the art would appreciate that other adhesive application patterns may be used. FIG. 6B shows the vacuum-formed outline of a batt 150 containing a mixture of fluff material 136 and SAP 138. While an hour-glass shape is shown for the batt 150, one skilled in the art would appreciate that other shapes may be used. Lastly, FIG. 6C shows an underlying layer of core wrap material 134 with a plurality of adhesive application patterns, namely, side adhesive 144 and end adhesive 146 applied to the perimeter of said core wrap. Additionally, an auxiliary adhesive 148 may be applied in the field within said side and end adhesives. The use of all of these adhesives helps to form a laminate of said dusting layer, said batt containing fluff material/SAP, and said core wrap material.

FIG. 7 shows the addition of a SAP shield 1137 which may be attached to said fluff material deposition chute 1136 so as to extend the amount of coverage around said laydown drum 1060 and thus help minimize the amount of SAP particles which might otherwise bounce off of said laydown drum and away from the web.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

For example, while a batt containing both SAP and fluff material was discussed in the embodiments above, one skilled in the art would appreciate that a batt containing substantially only SAP particles (i.e., a fluff-free batt) would be within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, one skilled in the art would appreciate that said batt containing substantially only SAP may also comprise adhesive. Said adhesive may be mixed with the SAP prior to deposition or directly applied to a material layer upon which the SAP particles are deposited. 

1. A method of forming an absorbent core assembly containing a discrete batt of particulate material comprising the steps of: providing a laydown drum, said laydown drum comprising a plurality of vacuum zones, said vacuum zones being substantially permeable to permit air to pass through and into said laydown drum, a plurality of fence zones, said fence zones being substantially impermeable to inhibit air from passing through, said fence zones being positioned laterally adjacent to said vacuum zones, and a plurality of blow-off zones, said blow-off zones being substantially permeable to permit air to pass out of and through said laydown drum, said blow-off zones being positioned between said vacuum zones; providing a continuous first web of material; positioning said continuous first web of material substantially adjacent to said laydown drum; generating a vacuum through said laydown drum and said continuous first web of material such that air is passed through said vacuum zones; depositing a dispersion of air and particulate material onto said continuous first web of material such that the air being pulled through the vacuum zones directs said dispersion to said vacuum zones whereupon the particulate material is positioned to form said batt; blowing air through said blow-off zones so as to substantially displace said particulate material from a position located above said blow-off zones; providing a continuous second web of material; positioning said continuous second web of material adjacent to said particulate material; combining a portion of said continuous second web of material to said continuous first web of material; and severing said continuous webs to separate said absorbent core assembly.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said combining includes adhesive bonding of said continuous first and second webs of materials.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said bonding is intermittently applied between discrete batts.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said combining includes mechanical bonding of said continuous first and second webs of materials.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said bonding is intermittently applied between discrete batts.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein said particulate material comprises superabsorbent polymer and fluff material.
 7. The method of claim 4 wherein said particulate material comprises superabsorbent polymer.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising shielding of the deposited superabsorbent polymer particles in order to prevent them from bouncing off of said laydown drum.
 9. An apparatus for forming an absorbent core assembly containing a discrete batt of particulate material comprising: a laydown drum comprising a plurality of vacuum zones, said vacuum zones being substantially permeable to permit air to pass through and into said laydown drum, a plurality of fence zones, said fence zones being substantially impermeable to inhibit air from passing through, said fence zones being positioned laterally adjacent to said vacuum zones, and a plurality of blow-off zones, said blow-off zones being substantially permeable to permit air to pass out of and through said laydown drum, said blow-off zones being positioned between said vacuum zones; and a deposition chute for depositing particulate material, said chute being in close proximity to said laydown drum.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said particulate material comprises superabsorbent polymer and fluff material.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said particulate material comprises superabsorbent polymer.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a shield attached to said deposition chute, said shield adapted to deflect said superabsorbent polymer particles in order to prevent them from bouncing off of said laydown drum. 